Clock-winding mechanism



W. N. PACKER 8v W. W. BRADLEY.

No Model.)

CLOCK WINDING MEGHANISM.

No. 445,073. Patented Jan. 20,1891.

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. WEA/TOM W1 TNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE.

VILLARD N. PAOKER AND VILLIAM lV, BRADLEY, OF CANTON, OHIO.

CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,073, dated January20, 1891.

Application filed May 5, 1890. Serial No. 350.558. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may ccncern:

Be it known that we, XVILLARD N. PACKER and WILLIAM W. BRADLEY, citizensof the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClocks; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in clocks; and the object of theinvention is to provide a clock with a weight as a propelling mediuminstead of springs, as are now usually employed, and to furnish theweight with means to electrically raise the same at given intervals whenrun down, and thus keep the clock constantly running and avoidingwinding by hand.

The invention proceeds on the hypothesis that the weight is superior tot-he springs as a means of operating clock mechanism, for the reasonthat it is always the same and absolutely uniform in its elfect,regardless of temperature, length of time in service, strain, and otherconditions which are liable to effeet springs unfavorably.

To this end the invention consists in a clock mechanism provided with aweight to propel the same, and said weight having means connectedtherewith to aise it at certain fixed intervals, so that the clock mayrun perpetually and winding by hand is not required.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure lis a part front and a part sideview in elevation of a clock-frame and mechanism therein, including ourimproved weight, and showing an electric motor in that connection toraise the weight in the manner hereinafter described. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the weight, and showing the shaft by which it iswound or raised and the wor1n-wheel for connecting it with the clockmechanism. Fig. 3 shows a flexible shaft-connecting motor andscrewthreaded weight.

A represents the clock-frame, which for the purpose of this descriptionmay be said to contain any well-known or usual combination of clockmechanism, the parts of which need not be particularized, except as theyare changed to make connection with thc propelling-power herein providedfor.

B is a tube or cylinder having a screwthread eXtendin g over its surfacebetween its ends, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with a weight B atits lower end. This tube or cylinder and the weight B together may beregarded as constituting the weight from which power is derived foractuating the clock mechanism, taking the place of weights as heretoforeused or of a spring in common clocks.

O is a worm wheel or gear set in the position in the clock mechanismusually occupied by the spring-drum or weight-drum, and supported inthis instance on a shaft E, extending centrally through the said tubeand provided with any suitable bearing at its upper end, by which it isheld steadily in position, and in this instance extending down to theelectric motorF, upon which the armature of said motor is secured, sothat said shaft may be regarded as the motor-shaft extending upwardthrough the clock and forming a support for the tube B and itssupplemental weight. The said tube is so placed upon the shaft that itis free to slide up and down thereon, and the said shaft is providedwith a spline e, which is engaged. by a screw or other pin f on thelower end of the tube B on the shaft, and this arrangement allows thesaid tube to slide freely up and down upon its shaft, while at the sametime the shaft when turned causes thc tube B to turn therewith. Thewheel O has wormgear upon its periphery, which is engaged by acorresponding thread on the tube B, and a bearing wheel G is placed onthe shaft H opposite the wheel O to keep the tube B in engagement withthe wheel O without in any manner interfering with the free up-and-downmovement of the said tube. In this construction it is of course requiredthat the weight, consisting of the parts B B', should be madejustsufficient to actuate the clock mechanism in the manner desired, and thesame principles would en ter into this calculation as would occur in theemployment of other weights or in the use of springs foralikepurpose.Vhen the weight is raised to the position seen in the drawings, it is inposition to work and IOO operate .the clock until it has run down.` Itis designed that, this running down of the weight shall be so limitedthat, while the weight has space or room to have considerable fall andrequires considerable time in making this distance, it will not gobeyond a certain point before it will be run or wound back to thestarting-point. For this purpose we provide the wheel. C with aconductor I, extending sufficiently beyond the periphery of said wheelto make electrical contact with the tube B. The said wheel C, or at anyrate the conductor I thereon, by any suitable means is placed in circuitwith a generator, as a battery or the like, in the motor-circuit, andthe circuit is completed through said condu'ctor, the tube B, and, say,the shaft of the motor onwhichl the tube B is supported, so that l whenthe conductor I comes around on each complete rotation of the wheel Cthe circuit will be closed on the motor and the motor will continue torun as long as contact between the conductor I and the tube B continues,and the contac-t will be broken and the'motor stopped when such contactis broken and the conductor I moves out of connection with the tube B.It will be noticed that this operation of winding the, clock, so tospeak, or, in other words, of, running thev weight up to its initialposition, must occur-while the clock continues to operate without anyinterruption thereof, so that the clock will be making the same timewithout any diminution in speed or other change while the winding isgoing on and the same as when the windinghas been completed. This isaccomplished by reason of the shaft E being connected with the weight,as herein described, wh'ereby the weight continues to have the sameeffect upon the wheel C during the winding process as before or aft-erwinding takes place. The shaft E has a rotary movement,and this movementis imparted to the tube B, and the tube B is run up on its threads incontact with the worm C; but in this operation the said shaft E merelyturns the tube B, but exerts no influence affecting its weight. Hencethe weight of the saidtube, with they weight B', continues. the same atall times whether winding occurs or not. [f in raising the weight anupward lift were given thereto at, the same time that the tube isrotated,` this would not occur; but there is no upward lift except suchas occurs by the rotation of the tube, and during this rotation theweight upon the worm-wheel is not diminished by reason of rotation andremains the same atall times. By the time the tube B is raised to the.maximum elevation the co-n ductor I has had time to move out of contactwith the side of said tube, the circuit is broken, and the motor stops.Of course the distance which the tube B travels downward before theope-ration of rewinding occurs is determined by the rotation of thewheel C, and such downward movement will continue until the electricalcontact-point or conductor I comes around and again touches the tube B,when wind-ing again occurs, and so on repeatedly and continually as longas the parts are in condition to perform their functions and the motoris prepared to do its work, as herein described. The worm-gear C isfixed to rotate with the shaft D, but is insulated therefrom, so as tokeep the shaft out of the circuit. The wornrgear in the operation ofwinding serves as a nut for the tube B to turn in, the oppositeworm-wheel G co-operlating therewith and holding the'shaft in its properrelation to the actuating-wheel C. It will of course be understood thatthe escapement of the clock prevents the worm-gear C from turning,except in unison with the beats of the pendulum in the usual way, andthe clock throughout operates and acts the same as. it would if otherand well-known propelling-power were employed. Ob-viously the shaft. Eand the tube B might be fixed together and the shaft splined to slide upand down in the motor instead ofy the tube sliding on the shaft, asshown herein, and the motor might be set to one side and a gearedconnection made with the shaft E, if desired, said shaft of course beingarranged to slide up and down or fixed and tube B arranged to slidethereon, as herein shown. In these particulars and in others there isroom for considerable change of arrangement and construction of partswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The part B is referred to here as a tube, by which is meant a tubeexteriorly threaded, whether solid throughout or provided with anopening for the passage of the rod E. If the said tube or screw weremade heavy enough in its body to actuate the mechanism, the weight Bcould be dispensed with.

It will be understood that while this mech anism is described as a clockmechanism the weight and means for operating the same may be employed inconnection with other mechanism not used for operating the hands of aclock.

In Fig. 3 we show a flexible shaft connecting the motor and the threadedweight in the clock. This arrangement enables us to place the motorbehind the clock at one side thereof, or in some other position by whichthe motor can be removed from view, and at the same time accomplishlfrom the shaft the operation desired. l

It will be noticed that the tube B and the shaft E. turn only whenwinding up occurs. At other times the. tube feeds straight down the sameas. it would if it had an ordinaryl toothed rack on its. side. Thethread is required for winding. The same weight is eX- ercised on wheelC whether the screw is wind ing or not, the whole weight in either casebeing on the wheel C, less of course the imperceptible friction on wheelG and at thev spline.

Having thus described onriuvention, what IOO IIC

we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

l. In clock mechanism, an exteriorlythreaded weighted screw supported ina perpendicular position and a gear-wheel in the said mechanism actuatedby said screw, substantially as described.

A weighted tube provided with a thread on its surface, a gear-wheelactuated by said tube, and power mechanism connected with the tube toturn and raise the same, substan tially as described.

3. The combination oi' a worin-gear and a weighted screw for maintaininguniform tension or pressure on the mechanism connected with said gear,substantially as described.

4. The weighted tube and a rotatable shaft on which the tube is free togravitate without turning, a wheel actuated by the tube, and mechanismto rotate the said shaft and raise the tube, substantially as described.

5. The clock mechanism having a wormgear, in combination with a threadedtube to operate said gear and a rotating bearing opposite said gear incontact with said tube, substantially as described.

6. A weighted threaded tube and a shaft on which said tube is arrangedto slide, a motor to turn said shaft, and a worm-wheel actuated by saidtube, in combination with clock mechanism driven by said wheel,substantially as described.

7. Glock mechanism having a worm-gear to operate the same, incombination with a shaft, a tube having threads meshing with said worm-gear and arranged on said shaft to gravitate downward thereon, a motorto turn said shaft, and means to lock the tube on said shaft therewith,substantially as described.

8. The operating-tube having a threaded surface and a power-wheelmeshing therewith, in combination with an electric motor to turn saidtube and a contactpoint arranged to make and break the circuit on themotor, substantially as described.

9. The operating' threaded tube, a motor, and connections between motorand tube to turn the tube, in combination with clock mechanism driven bythe said tube and an electrical contacbpoint operated by said mechanismand making and breaking circuit on the said motor, substantially asdescribed.

Witness our hands to the foregoing specicatiou this lith day of April,1890.

WILLARD N. PACKER. WILLIAM XV. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES J. GRANT, MICHAEL S. DIROGEN.

